Mt. Pleasant apartment complex warns residents of deadly snake

A Mount Pleasant apartment complex circulated a flier to residents after locating the shed skin of what could be a highly-venomous snake.

The flier from Harbor Pointe Apartments states the skin was located in the bushes outside the office and may be from a Gaboon Viper.

The flier states the snake is "highly poisonous and aggressive" and warns residents to be "very aware" of their surroundings when walking outside. It adds that since the snake is not native to South Carolina, it was either likely someone's pet that has escaped or came on shore from ships docking at the port.

"I just walked down the steps and I had chill bumps up and down my arm because I have a fear of snakes," said resident Susan Devlin. "I was very alarmed and for the safety of the other residents and the pets of course and the children that come out here to play."

Another resident told us he is staying on the sidewalk.

"A lot of people cut through this way to the garbage cans. I'm not going that way anymore because it could be lurking on the grass right there," said Dave Rogers.

If the snake were a pet that escaped from a home in the town limits, it would be an illegal pet, according to Mount Pleasant Police Inspector Chip Googe. It is illegal for anyone to "keep, maintain or have in their possession or control within the town any poisonous reptile or any other dangerous or carnivorous wild animal or reptile, any vicious or dangerous domesticated animal or any other animal or reptile of wild, vicious, or dangerous propensities," Googe said.

The Harbor Pointe Apartments property is located off Houston Northcutt Blvd. between Coleman Blvd. and Johnnie Dodds Blvd.